Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: DeMarcus Ware
Enshrinement
Published on : 8/3/2023
By Evan Rogers
Pro Football Hall of Fame
(Last in a series of nine features on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023)
From an early age, playing for the Dallas Cowboys appeared to be DeMARCUS WARE'S fate.
When Ware was a kid, his mother bought him a pair of cowboy boots. He wore them so frequently, his family gave him the nickname “Boot.”
As Ware began to grow up, playing college football — let alone suiting up for one of the NFL’s most decorated franchises — looked to be out of the picture.
At Auburn High School, Ware played football for two seasons. Playing both wide receiver and linebacker, he weighed only 185 pounds and possessed below-average speed with a 4.7-second 40-yard dash. Coupled with the fact that during his senior year the Tigers finished 5-5, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer received little attention from coaches and scouts at the next level.
Only one school offered the undersized two-way player: Troy State.
When Ware was offered, Troy State (Troy University today), still competed within the Division I-AA subdivision (or FCS). The Trojans’ coaching staff informed Ware that upon enrolling, he would be converted to play defensive end.
“I've always kind of been under the radar,” Ware said. “I was kind of unheralded, I guess, coming out of high school. I always had confidence in my talent. I knew that if I worked hard, I would get what I wanted and accomplish my goals.”
During Ware’s freshman year, Troy made the transition to the Division I-A (or FBS) ranks. One year later, he became a full-time starter at end and finished his sophomore season top-15 nationally in tackles for loss and sacks. The Trojans that year boasted the fourth-ranked defensive unit in the country, holding opponents to 276 yards per contest.
In his final collegiate season, Ware took home Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors and cemented himself as one of the greatest players to play at Troy. He finished his career as Troy's all-time leader in tackles for loss with 55.5 and was selected to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team.
A large part of Ware’s success in college had to do with his physical transformation. Over a four-year span, he gained 50 pounds, grew 3 inches and dropped his 40-yard dash time multiple ticks of a second.
“(Ware’s) a defensive end who can outrun most receivers,” Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. “He can play a lot of positions.”
Following his historic college career, Ware was selected with the 11th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, making him the first player from Troy and the Sun Belt Conference chosen in the first round.
Ware made another position switch once he suited up in Dallas, this time to outside linebacker as part of the Cowboy's 3-4 defensive scheme.
As a rookie, Ware started all 16 games and racked up eight sacks. By his second year, the budding linebacker made his first of nine Pro Bowls and had become one of the top pass rushers in the NFL.
Due to his electric burst and ability to get off the ball, Ware led the league in sacks during the 2008 and 2010 seasons, recording 20 and 15.5, respectively.
“This is a rare guy, and what you have to realize is he’s a once-in-a-generation type player,” then-Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. “This guy doesn’t come around very often, and if you’re looking for him in the draft every year, you ain’t going to find it.”
After nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware capped off his career with the Denver Broncos, where the four time All-Pro won a Super Bowl ring. Across his 12-year professional career, Ware averaged 0.78 sacks per game, third in NFL history for defenders with at least 100 games played.
When Ware’s football dreams were seen as a long shot — even an afterthought — growing up, “Boot” made sure his name would be remembered forever across football lore.
“I was never worried about what people thought,” Ware said. “But it is nice to show people what you can do, right?”
Evan Rogers is a student at the University of North Carolina and is an intern this summer at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
(Last in a series of nine features on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023)
From an early age, playing for the Dallas Cowboys appeared to be DeMARCUS WARE'S fate.
When Ware was a kid, his mother bought him a pair of cowboy boots. He wore them so frequently, his family gave him the nickname “Boot.”
As Ware began to grow up, playing college football — let alone suiting up for one of the NFL’s most decorated franchises — looked to be out of the picture.
At Auburn High School, Ware played football for two seasons. Playing both wide receiver and linebacker, he weighed only 185 pounds and possessed below-average speed with a 4.7-second 40-yard dash. Coupled with the fact that during his senior year the Tigers finished 5-5, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer received little attention from coaches and scouts at the next level.
Only one school offered the undersized two-way player: Troy State.
When Ware was offered, Troy State (Troy University today), still competed within the Division I-AA subdivision (or FCS). The Trojans’ coaching staff informed Ware that upon enrolling, he would be converted to play defensive end.
“I've always kind of been under the radar,” Ware said. “I was kind of unheralded, I guess, coming out of high school. I always had confidence in my talent. I knew that if I worked hard, I would get what I wanted and accomplish my goals.”
During Ware’s freshman year, Troy made the transition to the Division I-A (or FBS) ranks. One year later, he became a full-time starter at end and finished his sophomore season top-15 nationally in tackles for loss and sacks. The Trojans that year boasted the fourth-ranked defensive unit in the country, holding opponents to 276 yards per contest.
In his final collegiate season, Ware took home Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors and cemented himself as one of the greatest players to play at Troy. He finished his career as Troy's all-time leader in tackles for loss with 55.5 and was selected to the Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team.
A large part of Ware’s success in college had to do with his physical transformation. Over a four-year span, he gained 50 pounds, grew 3 inches and dropped his 40-yard dash time multiple ticks of a second.
“(Ware’s) a defensive end who can outrun most receivers,” Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said. “He can play a lot of positions.”
Following his historic college career, Ware was selected with the 11th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, making him the first player from Troy and the Sun Belt Conference chosen in the first round.
Ware made another position switch once he suited up in Dallas, this time to outside linebacker as part of the Cowboy's 3-4 defensive scheme.
As a rookie, Ware started all 16 games and racked up eight sacks. By his second year, the budding linebacker made his first of nine Pro Bowls and had become one of the top pass rushers in the NFL.
Due to his electric burst and ability to get off the ball, Ware led the league in sacks during the 2008 and 2010 seasons, recording 20 and 15.5, respectively.
“This is a rare guy, and what you have to realize is he’s a once-in-a-generation type player,” then-Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. “This guy doesn’t come around very often, and if you’re looking for him in the draft every year, you ain’t going to find it.”
After nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware capped off his career with the Denver Broncos, where the four time All-Pro won a Super Bowl ring. Across his 12-year professional career, Ware averaged 0.78 sacks per game, third in NFL history for defenders with at least 100 games played.
When Ware’s football dreams were seen as a long shot — even an afterthought — growing up, “Boot” made sure his name would be remembered forever across football lore.
“I was never worried about what people thought,” Ware said. “But it is nice to show people what you can do, right?”
Evan Rogers is a student at the University of North Carolina and is an intern this summer at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
More of this series
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Rondé Barber
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Don Coryell
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Chuck Howley
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Joe Klecko
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Darrelle Revis
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Ken Riley
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Joe Thomas
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: Zach Thomas
- Countdown to 2023 Enshrinement: DeMarcus Ware
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